with CES 2026 around the corner we could see some big announcements for smart locks. Not because of flashy designs or bold marketing claims, but because we are finally on the brink of meaningful standardisation in how doors are unlocked and thats called Aliro.
A new technology standard called Aliro is about to make life easier for smart home users when it comes to locks. The promise is simple. Walk up to your door and unlock it with a tap of your phone or watch. No opening apps. No typing codes. Just tap and go.
Apple users have already had a taste of this through Apple Home Key, which enables tap to unlock using an iPhone or Apple Watch. In the short term, Aliro changes nothing for Apple users. Home Key already works well and delivers exactly the experience Aliro is aiming to standardise.
Aliro has been developed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance as a standardised communication protocol between lock access readers and user devices. In simple terms, it defines how tap to unlock should work, regardless of brand or ecosystem. But it also means that Android users will get access to a Home Key like feature on their devices for the first time.
The bigger question is what happens next for Apple Home
Apple has a history of adopting industry standards and then integrating them deeply into its own platforms, as we have seen with Matter. If Apple chooses to adapt or support Aliro in a similar way, the impact for Apple Home users could be significant.
The real benefit would not be about replacing Home Key, but expanding choice. If manufacturers only need to focus on a single tap to unlock standard rather than building separate implementations for Apple, Android, and proprietary systems, it lowers the barrier to entry. That could lead to more smart locks becoming available for Apple Home, faster product releases, and broader support.
It could also mean that sharing of access to locks in a Apple Home with Android devices could be a lot easier too.
With CES 2026 approaching, we should expect to see many smart lock manufacturers showcasing hardware designed with Aliro in mind. For Apple users, the short term remains unchanged. But in the longer term, Aliro could quietly solve one of the biggest limitations in the smart lock market: limited choice
